Friday, April 09, 2010

We begin today with some terrible news, which yer Keith Telly Topping is, genuinely, sad to have to report. Paddy McGuinness has announced that Take Me Out is almost certain to return for a second series. There is no God.

Bones' one hundredth episode, broadcast in the US this week, was a witty and clever little piece of fluff; an effective flashback to Brennan and Booth's first case working together five years ago which included lots of fun observations and an ending that, in many ways, defines exactly why the series has become so very popular with its audience. And, it was nice to see little Zack return as well, even if it was only for one episode. When it's on form, this show really does feature one of the best ensemble casts anywhere on television. It's come a long way from its unpromising beginnings as a basic CSI-clone featuring a lead actor who many, yer Keith Telly Topping included, though had, at best limited abilities. And I couldn't be more happy to have been proved very wrong indeed.

EastEnders will face a 'value-for-money' review from the BBC Trust, it has been reported. It gets more viewers than any other show on the BBC - what's to review? The Gruniad Morning Star reports that the corporation is looking to strip its two hundred million drama budget. Other continuing dramas such as Doctors, Casualty and Holby City will also be under scrutiny. BBC Trust chairman Michael Lyons announced: 'In the coming year, we will continue our drive to ensure that the BBC offers high quality and distinctive programming and that it provides excellent value for money, through a number of major editorial, service and value-for-money reviews. The trust has set itself an ambitious agenda of planned activities for 2010-11 which we believe will make the BBC even stronger, and will ensure that the public can be confident that the BBC is being run in their best interests.' Or, in other words, 'we're scared every time the Daily Mail have a pop at us so we're actively being seen to chip a few million off the budget of our highest rated show ... because we have the collective backbone of a jelly.' Cowards.

Coronation Street actor Bill Tarmey has reportedly decided to quit the ITV soap. The sixty nine-year-old, who has played viewers favourite Jack Duckworth on the serial for more than three decades, is apparently departing due to his deteriorating health and to spend more time with his family. Tarmey told the Mirror: 'People often ask if I like Jack Duckworth. I always reply, "Like him? I bloody love him." I've had the most amazing thirty years playing Jack. Because of him I've made fantastic friends and travelled all over the world. I'll be sorry to say goodbye.' It is thought that the programme's bosses attempted to persuade the actor to stay. A show insider added: 'Bill was told they would rather see him finish with a bang than a whimper. They promised him a fantastic exit and Bill was delighted. 'It will be the end of an era when Jack Duckworth finally leaves Weatherfield for good. But one thing's for sure - his will be a very memorable exit.'

Hollyoaks newcomer Sheree Murphy has been ordered to keep quiet when she attends the Grand National tomorrow, according to a report. The actress is said to have faced a difficult week at the Channel 4 soap after starting to lose her voice while filming scenes as Anita Roy's (Saira Choudhry) long-lost mother Eva. Murphy will be judging the Matalan Style Competition at Aintree but has apparently been warned to keep her voice down to avoid making the problem worse. A source told the Mirror: 'She has promised to try and stop talking, and definitely no cheering. She's naturally chatty so it's killing her.'

Former Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren has died, aged sixty four. According to the Independent, who called him 'the Godfather of punk', McLaren had been battling cancer for some time, although his condition rapidly deteriorated over recent weeks. He died yesterday in Switzerland. His body is expected to be brought home to be buried in Highgate Cemetery. The Times described McLaren as 'the impish visionary behind the punk movement that traumatised and thrilled Britain.' McLaren also managed a number of other bands, including The New York Dolls and Bow, Wow, Wow before producing his own records including the hit single 'Buffalo Girls' and the much-sampled 'Double Dutch' from the 1983 LP Duck Rock. Born in North London, McLaren was raised by his grandmother in Newington Green, after his war-deserter father left home when he was two. Having been expelled from several art colleges, he opened a clothes shop - Let It Rock - on the King's Road, with his then girlfriend Vivienne Westwood in 1971. The couple's son, Joe Corre, went on found the lingerie company Agent Provocateur. However, Maclom's lasting notoriousness stemmed from his period as manager, impresario and, occasionally ham-fisted genius behind the legendary punk band The Sex Pistols. Influenced by the anarchist Situationalist movement, elements of pop and trash art, a liberal splash of Dadaism, left-wing politics and, not least, an insatiable thirst for money and self-publicity, McLaren's concept for the Pistols as 'an affront to pretty much everything' struck a huge chord with Britain's largely disaffected and bored youth in the late 1970s. He also had an occasionally fascinating solo musical career himself, was the effective star of Julien Temple's 1979 movie The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle and featured on Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack in 2008. A year earlier he had pulled out of a scheduled appearance on the reality show I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!, after changing his mind about the show. Before embarking on his career in music, McLaren famously opened his clothes shop - later renamed Sex - on the King's Road with Westwood. It became ground-zero for the initial London punk scene. Music journalist Jon Savage said: 'Without Malcolm there would not have been any British punk. He's one of the rare individuals who had a huge impact on the cultural and social life of this nation.' Savage, who wrote England's Dreaming, widely considered to be the definitive history of the Pistols and British punk said that McLaren was 'a complex and contradictory' character who had influenced British culture in many ways. He said: 'He could be very charming, he could be very cruel, but he mattered and he put something together that was extraordinary. What he did with fashion and music was extraordinary. He was a revolutionary.' Writing in the Mirror - a newspaper that once devoted front page headlines urging its readers to 'Punish the Punks' - Tony Parsons wrote that 'Malcolm McLaren gave punk rock its sense of mischief, he gave punk its sense of humour and he gave punk its outrage. Without art school graduate Malcolm – a crucial ten years or so older than the Sex Pistols – punk rockers would have been just a bunch of dumb yobs kicking in the doors of the establishment. Malcolm made us feel like rebels, revolutionaries, anarchists.' John Lydon whose fractious relationship with McLaren - the Artful Dodger to McLaren's Fagin - was at the heart of so much Pistols folklore was, nevertheless, moved to comment: 'For me Malc was, above all else, an entertainer and I hope you remember that,' before adding 'I'll miss him. And so should you.' Yer Keith Telly Topping will be dragging out his copy of Never Mind The Bollocks and jacking the volume right up to eleven for 'New York', 'Submission' and 'Pretty Vacant' tonight in tribute. Tarra, Malcolm. Thank you. For my life, effectively.

Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria-Parker has said she is 'confused' about recent assault claims made by a former co-star about the show's creator. Nicollette Sheridan, who played Edie Britt, is suing Marc Cherry for twenty million dollars over claims he assaulted her on set. Speaking on Ryan Seacrest's Kiis FM show in the US, Longoria-Parker said Cherry 'couldn't hurt a fly.' She also said Sheridan, who left the show in 2009, was 'a sweet girl.' In a legal action filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Sheridan has alleged Marc Cherry hit her in the face in September 2008 after she queried the script. The actress claimed when she reported the incident to the ABC network, Cherry killed off her character. 'It's a big lawsuit, it's a big deal,' Longoria-Parker said. 'I love the show so much that I would hate for anything to really tarnish the reputation of the show. I really would like all of it to go away.'

1 comment:

Anonymous
said...

I'm really fed up with the self-mutilation of the BBC. I don't care if "X", "Y" or "Z" offers value for money or not. I don't care how much Jonathan Ross is paid. I don't care how many people watch BBC3 or BBC4. All I care is that *I* get value for money, and I get that and so much more from the BBC.

I really think Thompson has been the worst DG the BBC has had for decades - worse than Birt - because as far as I can see he's done nothing - absolutely nothing - to stand up for the BBC's function, values or activities.

A Necessary Disclaimer

This blog contains occasional outbursts of adult language (about what a right shite state of affairs occur in the world today, mostly) and some (very minor) adult themes every now and then. So, if you're not seventeen years old yet, dear blog reader, then please do yer actual Keith Telly Topping a favour. Naff off and come back when you're a bit older. Thanks muchly.

Disclaimer (A Slight Return)

All of the opinions expressed within this blog - unless specifically indicated otherwise - are Keith Telly Topping's own. They should not, in any way, be thought of as reflecting (either collectively or individually) the views of any of the various media organisations, broadcasters, publishing companies or periodicals for which he has freelanced in the past, or may be employed by in the future. Or, indeed, anyone else other than yer actual Keith Telly Topping his very self.

My opinions, my political and spiritual beliefs, the choice of which TV shows I like and dislike, which newspapers and books I chose to read and, indeed, which football team I have the misfortune to support are my own and expression of them is my right within a free and democratic society. (Which, for all of Britain's faults in other areas in 2016, it just about still is.) If you disagree with any of the opinions expressed here, then please feel free to start your own blog and say whatever is on your mind to your own dear blog readers. That is, after all, what blogs are for.

This blogger encourages everyone to use those freedoms - which many brave men and women have struggled, suffered and died to attain and then maintain over the years - to express your opinions upon whatever subjects you desire and whenever you see fit in a public forum. Within - of course - the boundaries of the law as it currently stands.

Please remember there are, sadly, many parts of the world where citizens do not have similar liberties and who would probably love the opportunity to enjoy some of the freedoms that we in the West, all too often it would seem, take for granted.

Or, To Put It Another Way ...

This PARTICULARLY applies to the contents of this blog.

It's Not Where You're From, It's Where You're At!

A Brief Word Of Necessary Explanation

Copyright - An Important Notice

During 2015, this blogger received three separate "take-down" notices from blogger.com regarding individual pages of From The North relating to - alleged - copyright material posted on this blog. All of which were compiled with despite an extremely unhelpful attitude from those making the requests in telling Keith Telly Topping exactly *what* they - or, specifically, a third party - wished him to remove from the page(s) in question. Therefore, please note, From The North is a non-profit making blog compiled by Keith Telly Topping in his spare time. Almost all of the images used on this blog to illustrate a particular story come via Google Images. No attempt is made to infringe on anyones copyright - and the same goes to any links provided to You Tube. I am perfectly happy to remove any links or images from any particular page which are copyrighted (within reason, of course), but it would greatly help if I knew which one (or ones) are at issue. If you are a copyright holder and you believe that something has been posted on From The North which shouldn't be, please contact this blogger directly via the comments section.

All Are Welcome, Yes Indeed

Who He Is & How He Came To Be

A full-time survivor, dandy highwayman, bon vivant, self-unemployed author, journalist and broadcaster Keith Telly Topping's bibliography includes over forty books on mainly pop culture subjects. He was the co-editor of two editions of The Guinness Book of Classic British TV and has written or co-written volumes on television series as diverse as The X-Files, Star Trek, The Avengers, 24, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, Charmed, The Sweeney and Stargate SG-1 as well as music, film and literary critique. He authored four Doctor Who novels (including the award-winning The Hollow Men, with Martin Day) and a novella. His work includes two editions of the acclaimed The West Wing programme guide Inside Bartlet’s White House, A Vault Of Horror: A Book Of Eighty Great (and not-so-great) British Horror Movies, Do You Want To Know A Secret?: A Fab Anthology of Beatles Facts and Doctor Who: The Discontinuity Guide. He was a regular contributor to numerous TV and genre magazines and was a former Contributing Editor to DreamWatch. He is widely considered to be one of Britain's foremost experts on the bewildering complexities of US network television. No, he hasn't the faintest idea why either.

Notoriously suave, articulate and a right wow with the ladies (allegedly), Keith Telly Topping was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne on the very day that his beloved (though even then unsellable) United lost 3-2 at home to Northampton Town. Things haven't improved much since. He was the presenter of the monthly The Book Club (2006-08) and the daily Keith Telly Topping & His Top TV Tips preview slot on BBC Newcastle (2005-2012). He contributed to the BBC television series I ♥ the 70s, Call The Cops and The Perfect Detective and has also written for Sounds, the Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Times Culture Supplement, Radio Times, TV Zone, The Doctor Who Magazine and many other publications and periodicals.

Keith Telly Topping writes, and occasionally performs stand-up, and has written radio comedy, co-wrote the stage musical Monopolise! (performed at the 2011 Edinburgh Comedy Festival with Alfie Joey and Mark Deeks) and two TV pilots both of which are, currently, stuck in 'Development Hell.' A failed pop star at the age of fourteen as bass guitarist in (the never-legendary) Slime, Keith Telly Topping lives, works and occasionally sleeps on Tyneside. His interests include foreign travel, listening to bowel-shatteringly loud pop music, socialising with friends, eating in nice Chinese restaurants, watching football and cricket, reading, tacky British horror movies of the 1960s and 70s, military, political and social history and lots of other malarkey and shenanigans too numerous to list.

Keith Telly Topping still dines out on the tale of how he and three friends once - accidentally - stalked George Harrison down the entire length of Oxford Street. True story.

yer actual keith telly topping

THIS Is What You're Up Against

Nobody's Perfect

咖喱米飯和晶片

The Internet Is Responsible For All Of The EVIL In The World. Apparently

Has Anyone Else Noticed That The World Appears To Have Gone To Shit Since David Bowie Died?

The two things are, surely, connected?

Still, Life Has Its Upside

Sometimes. But, only if you think hard enough about it.

Docotr Who Fandom Explained

Available Again - Something This Blogger Has Written Which He's Actually Quite Proud Of

Keith Topping & Martin Day's award-winning 1998 Doctor Who novel The Hollow Men has been reissued by Random House as a kindle download. It can be yours, dear blog reader, for just three English pounds and thirty two pence from Amazon.

Available Again - Something Else This Blogger Co-Wrote Which He's Actually Extremely Proud Of

Paul Cornell, Martin Day and Keith Topping's award-winning Doctor Who: The Discontinuity Guide is now available in a kindle edition

Other Links

Keith Telly Topping's World Cup Trivia Page

http://worldcuptrivia.blogspot.com/

Monopolise!

The Telly Topping Family Crest

Motto: Veniat Ad Me, Si Putas Te Firmiores Irascibilem

Comments

Comments are always welcome - spam is most definitely not. However, no comments will be accepted from that well known regular attempted contributor 'Anonymous'. If you've got something which you think is worth saying, then I'm sure we'd all like to read it. But, at least have the good grace to put your name to it.

Also, this blog operates a zero tolerance policy towards rude arseholes, racists, homophobes and crass bullies. If you want to indulge in those sort of things then you can go somewhere else and do it (though it'd probably be preferable for everyone if you didn't). Be advised, however, that you are not any getting space on my blog to spread your repulsive views.

mission statement - part I

From The North is actively committed to working for a brighter future for Great Britain through the promotion of junk culture telly and loud pop music among young people.

mission statement - part II

This is, of course, an equal-opportunities blog. We treat them ALL with the same level of complete and utter contempt that they so richly deserve. As Billy Connolly once said, 'don't vote for them, it only encourages them.'

mission statement - part III

It's a truism but, in life, one tends never to fully appreciate the good things that one has until they are gone. Just a thought

appreciate what you've got while you've got it

The BBC is, of course, a British institution and national treasure. It is also - much more importantly - a World Class broadcaster with a global reputation for journalistic honesty, integrity, balance, innovation, creativity and quality. Ironically the only places in the world where it isn't highly regarded are in knobcheese fascist dictatorships like Iran and China and in its own backyard where scum politicians and lice newspapers with an agenda use it as their own personal punch-bag. This is WRONG. This blog supports the BBC and believes that it is high time the people of this country - to whom, after all, the BBC *belongs* - stand up for themselves and remind such crass, ignorant bullies that the BBC is better than all of them put together

reasons to be alive in 2017

No. 1: The third Peter Capaldi series of Doctor Who

can't find anything worth watching on TV tonight?

Then why not open your Complete West Wing DVD box-set and watch a couple of episodes in bed with a box of Maltesers®™ and a nice hot cup of milky cocoa? The world will, yer Keith Telly Topping respectfully suggests, look a whole hell of a lot better after a trip inside Bartlet's White House

whom yer actual Keith Telly Topping does NOT work for

Militant Agnosticism Or Understandable Indecisiveness?

I would really appreciate it if any postings made by myself on this blog are not reposted elsewhere without my permission. Which will almost certainly be given but I'd like you to at least do me the courtesy of asking first. Thank you for your kind consideration in this regard.